Birinyi Associates Inc. Has $4.38 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Birinyi Associates Inc. reduced its holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,775 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 90 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.2% of Birinyi Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Birinyi Associates Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,375,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 59.3% in the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSC Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,075.00 price objective (up previously from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,075.00 to $1,175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Loop Capital increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,005.00 to $1,095.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,021.93.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,055.66 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $468.61 billion, a PE ratio of 61.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.43. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $977.94 and a 200-day moving average of $935.03. Costco Wholesale Co. has a one year low of $697.27 and a one year high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.25%.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. The company offers branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories.